The "Staff of Green" On My Table

   When going back to the idea of finding weird things in photographs, I suppose it is all in how you look at things.  I have often said that a lot of people look but just do not see.  Sometimes, I am just the opposite.  I see even when I do not look.  Make sense?  Nah, if you are not a person with a weird sense of understanding, that will be just a garbled bunch of words without much meaning.  To me, however, in my feeble brain, it is all perfectly clear.  There are things that can be seen from a different perspective...so, it is all in how you look at things. I choose to be delighted in the simple mystery behind a lot of this thing we call life.  

  As I stumbled into the kitchen this morning to make that pot of "wakeup" called coffee, one of those pondering moments hit me.  I had flipped on the light and immediately saw an unusual sort of "staff".  There it was in bright lime green on the kitchen table.  It reminded me of a misshapen trident.  It had four prongs so could not be an actual trident.  Poseidon would have freaked had his trident been portrayed as such!  Funny thing...I never noticed it before.  It was there unmistakably clear and bright green. The stove light had passed through a bottle of cleanser that I had left on the table the night before.  Somehow, the angle of the light made a most unique image to be cast upon the table.  

  My pondering moment was not why the "staff" was there but rather why I suddenly saw it.  Why did I not see it last night?  How could I miss seeing something so vividly produced?  The image kept me enthralled through my entire first mug of coffee.  I looked at it from different angles thinking perhaps I needed to be in a certain spot to view it.  Nope...it was there from all angles.  I figure I need to just start noticing more things.  Pop would have claimed "Had it been a snake, you would have already been bitten."  It is a good thing he taught me to smell snakes far before I could see them!  Maybe the image just became viewable so I could have a good "thinking" early this morning.  All things happen for a reason.

Marsh Mats and Critters!

  When the southeast wind blows hard, it cleans the marshy areas quite nicely on the Bay side.  The shore side, however, usually receives all the trash that was hidden in the grass.  I try to scoop up most of the trash that is within reach but I am sure not going to traipse about the mud to get stuff.   There are too many hidden dangers that lurk beneath the tall, waving reeds.  In the past few weeks alone, I have found two cottonmouths sunning themselves so there is no telling how many others go unseen.  The same tides and wind that clean the trash from the marsh also rolls dead reeds into huge marsh mats.  These mats house many critters.  They provide shelter for the snakes.  They make perfect thatched roofs for the otter and nutria dens.  They give escape routes for the rabbits and rice rats.  They, also, provide a nice "table" for other critters.

  A few weeks ago, Moe the heron took a large mullet to the marsh mats.  Here, the bird was assured that the fish would not "get away" if he dropped it.  Moe finished off the mullet with no eventful struggles.  These same mats now serve as a dining spot for the small otter pups.  For the past few nights, the otters have been feasting on the mussels that anchor themselves in the marsh roots along the shoreline.  The otters rip the mussels free and carry them to a mat.  The mussels are opened and the pups feast on the soft meats.  It is obvious by the number of shells left behind that the otters find the mussels rather tasty!

  While I find the marsh mats interesting and they do serve a lot of different purposes for the critter life of the Bayou, I can only imagine the mess if we get a hurricane.  All of this will wind up in the yard.  The marsh mats and the critters within will become one huge mess in the yard.  Hopefully, that will not happen and the mats will have time to rot before coming shore bound.

When the Queen Speaks.....

  A lot of work has been taking place around the Little Bayou House.  The yard is starting to look a bit tamer and now more work has started on the house itself.  It seems that fighting termites,replacing rot from hurricane surge water and upkeep due to just general age, is a full time job.  Now to all of that hustle and bustle, add the chore of putting in the spring gardens and the place is buzzing.  Work to be done!  Work to be done! Hustle!

  In the midst of all of this, the Queen demands her attention and, more oft than not, that calls for a cease in work.  When the Queen speaks, we follow her commands.  What the Queen wants, she gets.  Nothing gets in the way of her commands.  The Queen, in this case, is Ms. Put, the old Bayou Cat.  She rules the place and if she decides to plop herself right in the middle of your freshly dug garden, so be it.  If she demands to be fed, petted, let inside or let outside, her will is met.  When the Bayou Queen graces you with her presence, all activity comes to a screeching halt.  You just have to love this old cat!

  My brother so graciously (yeah, right) donated a table to me.  Just what I needed...a table.  I have more furniture than Carter has liver pills, (Haven't heard that expression in a while, have you?)  so adding a table to the collection seemed a tad ridiculous.  But, how do you refuse when someone is so happy with their gift?  At least this is a patio table and does not need to be indoors.  (Now if I just had a patio, we would be all set!)  Still, the thing is not terrible as I have already found a home for it that is not the Little Bayou House.   The table is just residing here for the duration until it is hauled away!  But it was that table that the Bayou Queen decided was just for her.  She loves it!  The table has a small shelf beneath the smoky colored glass top and it was there that Ms. Put wanted to nap.  Sounds good except that the shelf is merely a scroll of iron and is not solid.  Being as the Bayou Queen is quite old (we estimate a little past 20 years), she kept falling off of the scrollwork. Son, concerned that she would hurt herself, cut a few boards to slip on the shelf.  Nothing fancy but the cat loved it.  Every day as we are working, she hops up on her personal lounging spot and enjoys the warmth of the sun.  She is right in the midst of our work area so feels comfortable enough to go in a sounds sleep without worry of being harassed by the Bayou Princess Cat, Ms. Nycto.  

  I am supposing that the table will have to stay put long enough for the Bayou Queen to tire of it.  The novelty of her perch will last until we move to a different spot to work. Then, she will find a new place to snooze....or we will have to create a "throne" for her napping pleasure. Either way, I am sure we will bow to her commands and do all we can to make her comfortable.  Yep, we do love our Queen!  

Tales of a Traveling Table

  Years ago, a hurricane named Katrina did a lot of damage around here.  With the terrific winds and exceedingly high storm surge, all sorts of debris was washed into the marshes, yard and wooded areas.   Some of this "stuff" was hauled away while other just stayed put depending on where it landed.  If, for instance, a piece of furniture was far out in the marsh or acres away in the woods, it just stayed to rot down and become part of the landscape eventually.  Mother Nature has a way of reclaiming its own so biodegradable things merely went back to being earth.  Other items will be found years and years from now.  This does not surprise me, in the least.

  One item that particular hurricane washed into the marsh at my cousin's house was a small table or bench.  There it sat for a good six years going unseen in the tall grass. Then came Tropical Storm Lee. This small storm smacked us pretty good and dumped some more debris in the area.  My cousin, being the wonderful person she is, found the little lost table while cleaning her yard.  Michelle called me.  "Hey Cuz, want a table?"  She needn't say more...she knew I would.  So, I became the owner of the hurricane table.

  Now, figure this.  This table originated somewhere...was bought by someone...taken by a hurricane...sat six years in a marsh...found by Michelle...was given to me.  Wow!  That, in itself, is some "Tale of a Traveling Table"!  But there is more......

  Not one to leave well enough alone, I scrubbed, sanded and redid the tiny table.  I painted a "story" in pictures on the top.  The rebus told the story of the table thus far...well, at least of what I knew.  I was pleased with my work and kept the little table in the living room as a conversation piece.  (It did strike up a good many of those!)  But neither the tale nor the travels ended there.  My sister came one day and remarked that she really liked the table.  "It would go perfect on my porch!"  So, the Traveling Table was on the move once again.  Susan took the little table home with her.  That was three years ago.  But there is more....

  Just recently, my sister and her husband sold their home and bought a camper.  They are on a new adventure camping out in National Parks around this great country.  I admire their tenacity in their new move. What a great time they will have exploring together!  But, to make this move, they had to part with furniture and most of their other belongings. Soooo....it was only a matter of time before a trailer backed up to my front door.  Uh, oh.  Sure enough among the other goodies that she brought "home", there was the little hurricane table.  The Traveling Table had made yet another move albeit this one back here.  Without knowing the history behind the table pre-Hurricane Katrina, this makes the eighth move for the piece of furniture.  I cannot say that many pieces would endure such abuse!  As for now, it sits in the Grandlittles' playroom where it can be surrounded by the happiness it deserves...if a piece of furniture can have feelings!

  Will this be the final resting spot for the Traveling Table?  I am not sure.  It is welcome to call the Little Bayou House its home for as long as it "feels" comfortable.  But if it ever gets that urge to travel, I am sure the next place will welcome it with open arms.  Oh...I did see Darling Daughter eyeing it the other day.  I think she mentioned that it would look nice on her patio.  Well, since she has this penchant for Coastal items, I don't think she could go wrong gathering this piece in amongst her other furniture.  It does, indeed, have a lot of Coastal "ties".  Perhaps the Traveling Table will be on the road again soon...bringing smiles wherever it goes!  

My Quirky Little Friend!

If you recall, I made a "junking" trip here a few weeks back. It was quite the experience as I encountered the typical "salesman" who tried to sell me all sorts of "quite exquisite" articles none of which appealed to me whatsoever. His spiel left me cold! I did however find the perfect piece out "behind the barn" so to speak. Left out in the weather was a rather sturdy end table that I envisioned as an art piece..and so it was purchased for a paltry $10! The table was mine! Once Mark carted it home for me, I set to work to make this a trash-to-treasure work of art! (To see the "before" picture, visit the post "The Queen of Spain" from February 6, 2012.)

A fresh coat of paint improved the table tremendously!

The weather had already loosened the finish so a light sanding made the end table workable. There was no need to prime coat the wood since I would be painting a picture directly on the tabletop. Early one morning this past week, I sat and watched the Rail fish for breakfast. This little shorebird was to become the inspiration for the artwork on the table. I have a tendency to paint pictures of things from the Bayou because that is what I know best. Observing the critters allows me to know their funny little quirks and it is those movements that give these art pieces their charm. That is exactly what this little rail had...charm..and lots of it!

A portrait of my friendly Rail adorns the tabletop!

Today saw the finishing of the table. All that is left is to apply a few coats of paste wax and this table can be declared a completed art work. I am not sure if it would ever appeal to anyone else but to me..it personifies a little part of my Bayou. My quirky little friend's likeness is now preserved for viewing by those folks who do not get to dawdle around in the marsh! Hopefully, I can share my Bayou by illustrating it one critter at a time! Time to start the next image!

A closeup of the tabletop!

"The Queen of Spain"!

I was up bright and early just waiting for the sunrise! Ms. Ezzy, the dog, and I sat on the pier just enjoying the solitude of the chilly morn. Around us we could see two egrets, one raccoon, one merganser and a whole bevy of loons. As the sun rose all the Bayou critters stirred from sleep. One by one the song birds greeted the day with their cheery songfest..all was right with the day. The cloud cover made for an interesting eastern horizon. Brilliant oranges and reds spilled over into the water and painted a large stripe on the Bay. So beautiful..so serene..it is too bad that our day would not continue as thus!

Ezzy and I headed back to the house. We were both a bit chilled and a lot hungry. Oh, my! The aroma of coffee greeted us with a welcoming warmth! Mark was up and in the kitchen..time for breakfast! Over breakfast, we made plans to visit a small antique shop that was just down the road. I had heard that there were a lot of "interesting finds" in this shop and I was in the market for a piece of furniture to restore! Lately, I had a hankering to paint another piece but had nothing on hand that lent itself to be an artistic piece. I was a lady on a mission and Mark tolerated my whims! Off we went! I had no idea exactly what I wanted but the search was on! When we arrived, we noticed that the place was not exactly conducive to shopping. First off, I had to literally climb over a large four-wheel all terrain vehicle to get inside the door...hmmm..this did not seem to be a good business plan! At the very least the entry to the place should be inviting..not blocked by a huge vehicle! Surely things would be nicer inside. I was wrong. Most antique shops have a certain distinct musty smell...this place smelled...BAD! I began to think that perhaps a rat the size of an elephant had met its demise somewhere amongst the racks and racks of grungy clothing that were in the middle of the shop. These were items that looked as if they were once used as cleaning rags...antiques? Nah...I wandered on..surely it would get better. The owner could be heard greeting other potential buyers with a spiel not unlike that of the proverbial used car salesman. His voice grew louder and louder with each person that climbed over the four-wheeler. His words spewed out of his mouth..."These dishes are from the 17th century! The Queen of Spain owned them! They are from a Dynasty and were willed down through the family! I have papers to show that they are worth $20,000! I will sell them for only $100! What a steal!" These same words were heard by everyone that entered! I soon felt like I was being accosted by a broken recording machine! Needless to say, I did NOT buy his dishes. It just so happened that an antiques appraiser wandered into the store and pointed out that quite clearly the dishes were from the 1940s and were not hand-painted but were decal decorated. He claimed that they were worth nothing near even the $100! Our man was caught in a scam!

Out back, there was a small garage that contained some odd furniture pieces. As I was wandering around, I spied an interesting cupboard! Ahh, this might be the piece for which I was searching! I turned to find our "Used car salesman wannabe antique dealer" at my elbow. "How much for this?" I ventured. " THIS! This is from the Spanish Dynasty! It is at least four hundred years old! See this! This is workmanship!" he patted the cupboard. "How much?" again I asked. My answer still was not forthcoming. "This is solid wood! It is an amazing piece! I had to pry it from an old lady's hands! She was crying when she had to part with it, so I took a picture of it so she would have something to hang onto! It is worth a fortune but I can give it to you cheap! Oh, I forgot to show that other guy!"...and he left. I inspected the piece..two drawers were missing and a hinge was bent. The backboard was split showing that it was fiber-board not wood. Also..on the inside there was a mouse hole gnawed right through the side! Hmmmm..I wandered back outside. Around the corner came our rabid salesman with the appraiser in tow! Once inside, I heard him giving the same spiel about the Spanish Queen's Dynasty and how he had to pry it from her hands (poor Queen!). I, also, heard the appraiser tell him that it was a 1980s piece and had multiple defects! Oh, how it pays to eavesdrop on antiques appraisers! I slipped a little further away. Sitting outside of the garage, there was a whole slew of near dilapidated pieces of furniture..a chest of drawers that had lost the drawer fronts..a table whose composite top was nearly warped into a U-shape..and a chair that had only two legs! Oh, and I must not forget..a fifty gallon drum of glycerin! Just what you would expect to find in an antique shop! Then I spied my treasure! Among the rubbish was a small end table. Not an antique by far but a very sturdy piece..just the thing to refurbish as a painted art piece! While the appraiser was still within earshot, Mark asked the price. No Queen this time..no 17th century..no Dynasty...just $10! YES! Mark grabbed my table and made for the truck! As I stood watch over my find, he hurried in to finalize the sale! $10! I think perhaps our salesman wearied of retelling his tale of the 17th Spanish Dynasty's Queen and his personal trouble in prying items from her hands! He just wanted us to leave..which we did........quite happily! (With my $10 table!)

Shrimp and Fish!

The Bayou was the scene of a wild, windy and rainy day! I ventured down to the pier early this morning between showers. The wind was stirring up the Bay something fierce and I could see the rain coming! A hasty retreat back to the house was necessary for fear that my camera would be soaked! No sunrise pictures again today!

Several gourds needed to be painted for a friend so that was the plan for the day! The gourd with the painted shrimp that I finished the other day was a tad small for the order so I had to begin again. I pulled the largest gourd I could find and set to work. This time, the shrimp seemed relatively easy to paint..I guess the old saying of "practice makes perfect" is true..although, I still need a ton of practice to ever "perfect" my art. The gourd was painted in record time!...but was it finished?? It appeared to lack something. I played around for the rest of the day just trying to "dress up" this gourd. Finally, I decided to "sew" a piece of netting to the top of the gourd to see if that would help at all. This was easier said than done! First off, the gourd was a mite slippery since I had put a nice coat of wax on it to seal the paint. This was not making it particularly easy to attach a net! The gourd would slip to one side and the net would simply slide off. I tried gathering the net around the gourd and the goofy thing shot out of my hand like it was in a slingshot! It careened off the table and hit the floor..uhoh this could be trouble! I gingerly picked up the gourd and inspected it for cracks..nope! Not a one! Whew! I must be a tad more careful! The next stumbling block came in the form of stretchy netting! I was using a piece of an old castnet but for some reason it felt more like elastic! It would stretch almost double its original length! Every time I would position it on the gourd, it would look right on one side but the other side would look one of those Shar Pei dogs with all of its wrinkles! I pulled..I tugged..I trimmed and I whip-stitched the net to the top of the gourd and called it finished! My "shrimp gourd" can be delivered after which I will breathe a sigh of relief!

While working on the gourd, I was sitting at a table that I had painted for my husband several years ago. It turned out to be one of my favorite pieces that I have ever painted. Perhaps because it was for him or perhaps it was the subject matter of the piece. I painted a picture of a redfish on the table top since this is one of his favorite fish to catch. He loved his table and uses it almost daily as a "laptop" table! But today..I noticed a problem! There is a large crack that has developed right down the middle of the table! I believe it was caused by the heat of his computer. Hopefully, I will be able to repair the crack and give the table a another chance at survival! This is its second life as it was donated to me by the flood waters of Katrina. Ha..from debris pile to "treasured family heirloom"! Or after I am gone..back to a debris pile! Who knows?? Anyway..on tomorrow's to-do list..repair a table!